"'It is a presidential moratorium, it is a significant presidential action, but it's not an executive order,' said Christopher Neff, political director at the Palm Center, a research institute at University of California, Santa Barbara. 'They basically want the military to disregard anyone who 'tells' [of someone's sexuality] as long as there isn't a [Uniform Code of Military Justice] violation or something criminal.' Neff called the move by congressional members 'gutsy'. 'Having 77 members step up sends a strong message that there is movement on this issue and that it doesn't have to wait three years for a bill to pass Congress,' Neff said."

AFTER THE JUMP, the full text of the letter complete with signatories. It can also be viewed on Rep. Hastings' website. Reps. John Conyers (D-MI), Keith Ellison (D-MN), Barbara Lee (D-CA) and many members of the Congressional Black Caucus are signatories. (Well, not everyone.) Did your representative sign the letter?

Dear President
Obama:

The United States
of America prides itself on having the finest military
in the world because of the hard work, dedication, and
sacrifices of our brave servicemen and women. And yet,
under 10 U.S.C. § 654 (Policy Concerning
Homosexuality in the Armed Forces), better known as "Don't
Ask, Don't Tell," the talents and contributions of our
openly gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)
service members continue to be ignored simply because
of who they are. Every day, we lose approximately
two service members to this misguided, unjust, and flat-out
discriminatory policy. Don't Ask, Don't Tell is not
only an injustice to them, but a disservice to the
U.S. military and our country as a whole.

As you know,
Don't Ask, Don't Tell was signed into law in 1993 by former
President Bill Clinton as a compromise to allow gay and
lesbian service members to serve in the military -- so
long as they did not disclose their sexual
orientations. Fifteen years later, Don't Ask Don't Tell
is instead negatively impacting the lives and livelihoods of
these military professionals and depriving our Armed
Forces of their honorable service. Since you took
office on January 20, 2009, more than 250 gay and
lesbian service members have been discharged under this law,
which continues to undermine and demoralize the more
than 65,000 gay and lesbian Americans currently
serving on active duty.

Although we are
confident that you will remain true to your campaign
promise to end Don't Ask, Don't Tell, our LGBT service
members and our country's national security will
continue to suffer if initial action is delayed until
2010 or 2011. We urge you to exercise the maximum
discretion legally possible in administering Don't Ask,
Don't Tell until Congress repeals the law. To this
end, we ask that you direct the Armed Services not to
initiate any investigation of service personnel to
determine their sexual orientation, and that you instruct
them to disregard third party accusations that do not
allege violations of the Uniform Code of Military
Justice. That is, we request that you impose
that no one is asked and that you ignore, as the law
requires, third parties who tell. Under your
leadership, Congress must then repeal and replace
Don't Ask, Don't Tell with a policy of inclusion and
non-discrimination. This bilateral strategy would allow
our openly gay and lesbian service members to continue
serving our country and demonstrate our nation's
lasting commitment to justice and equality for all.

As the United
States continues to work towards responsibly ending the War
in Iraq and refocus on the threat from al Qaeda in
Afghanistan and Pakistan, our LGBT service members
offer invaluable skills that enhance our country's
military competence and readiness. Despite the great
strain on our military's human resources, the Armed Forces
have discharged almost 800 mission-critical troops and
at least 59 Arabic and nine Farsi linguists under
Don't Ask, Don't Tell in the last five years.
This is indefensible. The financial cost alone of
implementing Don't Ask, Don't Tell from Fiscal Year
1994-2003 was more than $363.8 million. Our
nation's military has always held itself to the
highest standards, and we must recruit and retain the
greatest number of our best and brightest. To do
anything less only hurts our country's military
readiness and our service members.

We also want to
bring to your attention the most recent examples of the
failed Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy in action. New York
National Guard First Lieutenant Dan Choi and Air Force
Lieutenant Colonel Victor Fehrenbach are two
exceptional servicemen who have dedicated their lives
to defending our country and protecting the American
people. Their bravery and abilities have been
tested in combat, and now they face impending
discharge under Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

First Lieutenant
Choi, a current National Guardsman with the 1st
Battalion of the 69th Infantry in Manhattan, is a West Point
graduate, Arabic language specialist, and Iraq War
veteran who is under investigation for refusing to lie
about his identity.

Lieutenant
Colonel Fehrenbach, Assistant Director of Operations for the
366th Operations Support Squadron at Mountain Home Air Force
Base in Idaho, has honorably served his country for 18
years as an F-15E pilot. He has received nine air
medals, including a Medal for Heroism during the 2003
invasion of Iraq, and was hand-picked to protect the
airspace over Washington, D.C. after the Pentagon was
attacked on September 11, 2001. Lieutenant Colonel
Fehrenbach, who has flown combat missions in Iraq and
Afghanistan against the Taliban and al Qaeda,
continues to serve while the recommendation for his
honorable discharge moves forward to a review board,
and eventually to the Secretary of the Air Force. Just
two years away from his 20-year retirement, he stands to
lose $46,000 a year in retirement and medical benefits for
the rest of his life if discharged.

The American
people and service members of the Armed Forces
overwhelmingly support the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't
Tell. According to a national Gallup poll conducted in
May 2009, 69% of Americans, including 58% of
Republicans, favor allowing openly gay men and lesbian
women to serve in the military. Furthermore, a 2006
poll of 545 troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan
by Zogby International and the Michael D. Palm Center
at the University of California, Santa Barbara,
revealed that 73% are personally comfortable with gay men
and lesbian women. John Shalikashvili, former
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the
Clinton administration, and more than 100 retired
admirals and generals support this repeal, in addition to
the Human Rights Campaign, the Servicemembers Legal
Defense Network, and Knights Out, an organization of
LGBT West Point alumni cofounded by First Lieutenant
Choi.

Mr. President, we
cannot afford to lose any more of our dedicated and
talented service members to Don't Ask, Don't Tell. On behalf
of First Lieutenant Choi, Lieutenant Colonel
Fehrenbach, and the more than 12,500 gay and lesbian
service members who have been discharged since Don't Ask,
Don't Tell was implemented in 1994, we stand ready to assist
you in repealing this dishonorable and debilitating
law as soon as possible, and in restoring justice and
equality in our Armed Forces.

Please know that
we will continue to monitor this situation and are
hopeful that, together, we can address this urgent issue
soon. Thank you for your consideration and we
look forward to your response.

Comments

---Reps. John Conyers (D-MI), Keith Ellison (D-MN), Barbara Lee (D-CA) and the many within the Congressional Black Caucus are signatories.----

Thank you! Thank you for highlighting Alcee Hastings (my old rep from Florida) and the other black congressmen FROM THE SOUTH!! who support gay rights! If you read the other blogs or watch tv, you would think its only Barney Frank and white congressmen from the west or northeast.